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I made a post in the housing section about my friend being evicted which it's kindly giving lots of good advice, but I've also mentioned a problem with the electricity but no one can help so thought it best to post here.

She lives is a 3 floor property above an empty shop, her electricity is sub metered from that.

As part of the eviction, (she was 2 weeks late on one month rent) the landlord has said she owes £400 in electricity which he's never mentioned before, he's owned the property 10 months and is saying that he's not paying it because she should have, apparently the shops electric account hasn't been paid for 18 months, which in itself is confusing surly he's only liable from when he bought it? Anyway, she did contact them but they won't discuss the account for obvious reasons. He's told her she needs to be out by Sunday and that the electric company are going to cut the power unless he pays, which apparently will be Monday.

So I need help with 2 points, 1, I know it's likely a scare tactic, the power would only be cut off if they had been threatening him for several months, at which point surely he would have mentioned it before now, but if it is true are they allowed to do so if there is a domestic property attached to it? She just needs 2 more weeks before she can get somewhere new, we've told the housing association everything and there happy for her to move in without a reference from this landlord due to the condition of the property.

And secondly, I tried googleing but struggled, is the landlord liable for the electricity as its his meter? She's never paid electric to him and it's not in her tenancy agreement, I don't pay water as my landlord does for the whole building and that's not in my tenancy agreement either, so should she just ignore it? I don't know how she's used that much electricity anyway, the bottom floor power hasn't worked for 9 months and there are only 2 rooms with power upstairs and gas central heating.

I made a post in the housing section about my friend being evicted which it's kindly giving lots of good advice, but I've also mentioned a problem with the electricity but no one can help so thought it best to post here.

She lives is a 3 floor property above an empty shop, her electricity is sub metered from that.

As part of the eviction, (she was 2 weeks late on one month rent) the landlord has said she owes £400 in electricity which he's never mentioned before, he's owned the property 10 months and is saying that he's not paying it because she should have, apparently the shops electric account hasn't been paid for 18 months, which in itself is confusing surly he's only liable from when he bought it? Anyway, she did contact them but they won't discuss the account for obvious reasons. He's told her she needs to be out by Sunday and that the electric company are going to cut the power unless he pays, which apparently will be Monday.

So I need help with 2 points, 1, I know it's likely a scare tactic, the power would only be cut off if they had been threatening him for several months, at which point surely he would have mentioned it before now, but if it is true are they allowed to do so if there is a domestic property attached to it? She just needs 2 more weeks before she can get somewhere new, we've told the housing association everything and there happy for her to move in without a reference from this landlord due to the condition of the property.

And secondly, I tried googleing but struggled, is the landlord liable for the electricity as its his meter? She's never paid electric to him and it's not in her tenancy agreement, I don't pay water as my landlord does for the whole building and that's not in my tenancy agreement either, so should she just ignore it? I don't know how she's used that much electricity anyway, the bottom floor power hasn't worked for 9 months and there are only 2 rooms with power upstairs and gas central heating.

What does the tenancy agreement say with regards to payment of services such as electricity.

If it is a sub-meter, then the tenant can only buy the electricity from the landlord (unless it is agreed as an integral part of the rent)

What was on the ingoing inventory/statement of condition? If the meter reading was recorded then that's a good hint she needs to pay for what she used ... no more and no less.

The landlord is not permitted to profit from the re-selling of such electricity ,... but if it's a commercial tariff which I guess it is as the main meter seems to supply the shop, then the cost may not be cheap.
As the shop is empty, then presumably all the electricity is being used by the flat, and again the landlord is under no obligation to switch toi any other supplier or tariff.

Presumably as the supply is via a sub-meter, then it is the responsibilty of the landlord to ensure such supply remains available to the flat, and so presumably failure to do so would be a breach of the tenancy agreement. I suggest if your friend finds the power has been cut, she contacts a housing adviser such as the CAB or Shelter as to her rights.

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